White House’s Powerful New PSA Implores Men to Stop Sexual Assault Before It Happens

Part of 'It's on Us' campaign

The White House's new PSA is a call to action for men who see sexual assault about to happen, and asks them to do something to stop it.

As part of the ongoing "It's on Us" campaign, which President Obama has said is about "condemning sexual assault as loudly as we should," the new spot is focused on a party bystander who sees a young man stop a woman from leaving the party when she'd like to.

The ad comes as colleges and universities across the country enter into a National Week of Action, from Nov. 17-21, geared to motivate students to get involved in the "It's on Us" campaign. According to White House research, bystander intervention programs help to change social norms and teach people to speak out.

"Bystander involvement can be very important, and oftentimes men underestimate other men's attitudes toward violence," Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to the president, tells BuzzFeed. "They don't understand that other men are opposed to violence, too. So if they get the sense that it's OK [to intervene] because everyone else around the room feels the same way you do, the first person who gets up will inspire the next person to get up, and the next person and the next person."